Men’s Basketball Falls to Alabama State in Overtime Saturday

HOMEWOOD, ALA.  – The Merrimack College men's basketball team lost its first-ever match up with Alabama State University on Saturday afternoon in overtime, 66-60. Adam "Budd" Clark was the leading scorer for the Warriors with 12 points. Both Jordan Derkack and Samba Diallo had 11 points in the loss.

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 60, Alabama State 66 OT
Records: Merrimack (3-4) | Alabama State (3-4)
Location: Pete Hanna Center

Rapid Recap

• Devon Savage got the scoring going for Merrimack with a three on his first shot of the game. Bryan Etumnu followed up with a dunk to put the Warriors up five early. The Hornets came back to cut the lead down to two. Merrimack swelled the lead up to six two minutes later. With nine and a half minutes to play the game was tied at nine. A minute later the was tied at 11. Alabama State found themselves with a three-point advantage. Derkack knocked down a jumper, followed by a Clark jumper tied the game once again, this time at 16. After a Hornets jump shot found the bottom of the net, Jordan McKoy hit his lone three of the day to put the Warriors up one with four minutes to play in the half. Clark hit a jumper to put Merrimack up three. Alabama State scored before the end of the half to head into halftime down one.
• Diallo put the Warriors up three early in the second half. The Hornets got the advantage down to one. With 17 minutes to play Clark hit a runner in the lane and Savage hit a free to send Merrimack up by six. Diallo hit two free throws to increase the lead to eight. Alabama State then come back to cut the lead in half with just under 13 minutes to go in the second half. Jaylen Stinson found the bottom of the net with a three to put the Warriors up by five. The Hornets tied the game up at 39 with 10 minutes left in the half. Savage converted on a layup to regain the lead for Merrimack. The Warriors were up by six with eight minutes to go. Alabama State then tied the game back up this time at 45. The Warriors then added seven straight points to go back up by seven. The Hornets then went on a seven-point run of their own to tie the game at 52. Both teams traded points for the rest of the second half. The score was tied at the end of the second half at 56.
• Alabama State scored four of the first six points in overtime to go up by two. The Hornets did not look back, winning the game by six points after shooting the ball well from the line down the stretch.

 
Notes and Numbers

• The Warriors shot 80% from the free throw line.
• Etumnu was one rebound and one point away from a double-double.

Up Next
Merrimack will be back in action on Wednesday night against Georgetown. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m.